Tenderloin vs Porterhouse vs T-Bone vs Strip vs Ribeye vs Sirloin

The ribeye also known as Delmonico steak, Scotch Filet, or entrecote is a nice cut that comes from the rib area and sometimes it has the bone still. As the name implies, the cut comes from an area close to the rib and technically needs to have the bone removed to be called a ribeye. In my opinion, the ribeye is the best cut for people who value flavor over texture and it’s definitely a richly marbled cut lots of fat but also nice juiciness.

The strip steak also known as a New York Strip or Kansas City strip is a little less tender but also still very flavorful. It’s a short loin or strip loin cut roast and the muscle doesn’t get used a lot so there’s very little connective tissue and therefore it’s a good cut of steak.

The Tenderloin is the most tender cut of the beef. It comes from the back part muscle that is used very rarely and it’s oftentimes also referred to as filet or filet mignon. The average beef tenderloin is about three to three and a half pounds with a Chateaubriand the center cut tenderloin weighing anywhere between one and a half two and sometimes even two and a half pounds.

T-bone steaks and porterhouse steaks are very similar but are technically not exactly the same. A t-bone is called that way because it has a t-shaped bone with the tenderloin part on the one side and a strip steak on the other. According to the USDA, a t-bone steak just needs a tenderloin part that’s .25 inch which is quite small. In order for it to be called a porterhouse steak, you have to have at least one and a quarter inches of tenderloin.

The top sirloin cut means it’s the most tender part of the sirloin with the bones and the tougher parts removed. It’s typically quite lean and also the least expensive cut of all the ones listed here. It’s one of the most popular cuts in the US and while it is lean, it’s also a little tougher and it doesn’t quite have the flavor of the other steaks. At the same time, it’s a good budget alternative.